Yes we can't believe it either - but Christmas is almost here; with only a few shopping days left, the team at AND thought they would highlight their favourite gadgets to give you a helping hand with those last minute stocking fillers.

iCade

It seemed pretty daft to strap a clunky arcade cabinet to one of the most advanced touchscreen tablets, just to play a game of Space Invaders - but that is why we love the iCade. It's incredibly ridiculous but all the same it's very entertaining and we bet it'll have you hooked for hours! The iCade is an arcade-style casing that fits snuggly around your iPad giving it that retro arcade feel. Boasting a chunky joystick and eight full sized buttons, this neat gadget allows you to relive classic games from the 70's and 80's through the downloadable app Atari Greatest Hits. Compatible with new & existing apps, the iCade also doubles up as a stylish stand for you iPad - you won't be able to leave it alone.

Nike+ Sportwatch

The Nike+ Sportwatch is the latest must-have gadget from Nike, aimed at enthusiastic sportsmen this clever device will revolutionise the future of your running. In collaboration with TomTom, the Nike+ sports watch boasts GPS technology that works in tandem with a Nike+ shoe sensor (included in the box) to capture every step of your run - cleverly tracking your pace, distance, time & calories. With USB contacts already fitted to the watch strap uploading your run history, personal records & tracking your goals to your computer couldn't be made any easier. We think the Nike+ sports watch will come in very handy when trying to work off those Christmas pies come January!

Optoma Pico Projector

The Optoma PK301 pico projector is the perfect prezzie for anyone who is always on the go; so if you're constantly dashing from one meeting to another then this dinky gadget could be the ideal gift for you. Measuring up at a compact 120 x 70 x 30mm and weighing in at just 250g, the PK301 allows you to view business presentations & share entertainment either at home or in the office. Featuring a micro SD & USB connectivity alongside mini HDMI, the PK301 sets a whole new standard for mobile projecting.

Nintendo 3DS

For ultimate on-the-go gaming, the Nintendo 3DS is the perfect gift for Christmas, although, predominantly aimed at children this little device will not fail to impress adult gamers alike. Without the need for 3D glasses, you are completely immersed into a whole new realm - giving you the ability of selecting the level of 3D that suits best. Displaying 16.77 million colours on the lower LCD screen, the new 3DS includes a circle pad providing a full 360° of direction giving you the freedom & precision to explore the 3D worlds. Surely the launch of Super Mario 3D Land is enough to sway you into wanting this really cool gadget?

Flip Ultra HD Pocket Camcorder

Be ready to film this year's Christmas antics with the simple yet sophisticated Flip Ultra HD pocket camcorder. The new & improved 3rd generation model combines stunning high definition video quality with shoot-and-share simplicity. With 120 minutes of recording time & 8GB of built in memory, just switch on, press record and start capturing those precious moments.

With the nifty USB arm already attached, sharing your videos couldn't be easier, just flip the USB arm and start uploading videos directly into your computer.

Useful links
firebox [www.firebox.com]
nike [www.nikerunning.nike.com]
optoma [www.optoma.de]

Gill Hayward: WWII code breaker

The staff at AND Technology Research gathered to pay their respects to Gill Hayward, a friend of AND & an electronics engineer whose expertise proved crucial during World War II.

Hayward, who passed away in early October aged 93, will be remembered for his lasting contribution to the design of the wartime "Tunny" decryption machines, which were developed by the Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill & used at the now famous Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.

In 1938 just before WWII erupted, Bletchley Park became residence of The Government Code & Cypher School providing a safe haven for British intelligence work to be carried out unhindered by enemy air attacks & ideally situated for the Oxbridge universities to supply many of the code breakers who worked at the estate.

Initially concentrating on breaking Enigma ciphers, focus then moved to the German Lorenz SZ42 cipher machine ("Tunny"), a radio teleprinter communications device used by members of the German High Command throughout the Second World War to transmit higher grade secrets. The Lorenz was much more powerful than the infamous Enigma machine, utilising 12 encoding "wheels" compared to the Enigma's three or four.

In 1941 the first messages ("Fish") were broken using hand-methods, but introduced complications by the Germans soon made Tunny messages impossible to decode by hand alone.

To address this added complexity in the cipher Colossus was developed, a machine with capabilities of reducing time spent establishing wheel settings from weeks to just days - allowing commanders in the field to act on resulting information that was being discovered by intercepted messages.

Hayward's electronic engineering know-how proved vital to the successful progression of the Colossus. During WWII there were eventually 10 Colossus machines in use at Bletchley Park, all providing allied forces with critical information intercepted from the German High Command & notably providing key intelligence uncovered for D-Day.

Only in recent years has the impressive Colossus machine been given the full recognition it deserves - as one of the first modern computers of its time.

After serving the Intelligence Corps out in Egypt from 1940-1944, Hayward was called back to Bletchley Park where he became Intelligence Corps captain of room 29. Here he was responsible for a number of Post Office engineers whose job was to keep an eye on the machines, check they were working & keep them running for 24 hours a day until the war was over.

It was in the 1980's when Gill's path crossed with AND Technology Research, after he set up his own company Encrypta Electronics. At Encrypta, Hayward used his own code breaking technology to patent the world's first electronic security seal, which was manufactured & sold all over the world. The engineers here at AND, helped Gill to design the software for the encryption system that is still used today throughout the transport & distribution industry.

During his retirement Gill helped researchers rebuild Colossus after they had all been destroyed at the end of the war - luckily he had jotted down the plans for the machines! Receiving the Duke of Kent award in 1996 for his contribution to the war effort & being presented with a special award from the Prime Minister for his code breaking skills last year - Gill Hayward will remain a key figure in the electronics industry for many years to come.

Useful links
bletchley park [www.bletchleypark.org]

Dennis Ritchie: a technological innovator

October 2011 saw the world lose two innovative minds. While one generated scenes of public mourning that shook the iPod generation, the technology world lost another, lesser known but equally an important figure Dennis Ritchie, after a long battle with cancer and heart disease.

It was in the late 1960s and early 70s, when Ritchie made a life-changing contribution to computer science that was to alter the future of technology as we know it. Working at Bell Labs, now owned by Alcatel Lucent, Ritchie joined the programming division arriving at a time when one of their major projects Multics was in crisis.

Long before the microchip and personal computers had been invented, the nearest thing to personal computing was the computer utility, a large mainframe machine that was used by multiple users sitting at typewriter terminals. Although the utility was highly expensive to run, it seemed to pave the road ahead for the future of personal computing.

The origins of Unix was born, when a group consisting of General Electric, Bell Labs and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, embarked on a project entitled Multics (Multiplexed Information and Computing Service), which was to be the largest computer utility designed to support several hundred simultaneous users.

Bell Labs were to create the operating software for the system and when Ritchie joined the company, people were just starting to learn that writing large programs was incredibly difficult & costly. In 1969, just four years into development Bell Labs pulled out of the project.

Still able to see potential in the system, Dennis Ritchie - along with Ken Thompson, Brian Kernighan, Douglas Mcllroy and Joe Ossanna, created a simpler & smaller system that they would call Unix.

The Unix effect has been felt in countless ways, it has established many of the software engineering principles that still exist today and was the operating system of choice for the internet. Unix is also responsible for the open source movement, with its variant Linux, powering most of the world's data centres today, including those at Google & Amazon.

Ironically, for a pioneer whose influence is largely unknown - Unix is at the heart of popular operating systems like Apple's iOS, which is widely used at present in all of their consumer computing products.

When the time came to rewrite the operating system for an entirely new machine, Thompson and Ritchie had other plans, aiming to simplify and bridge the gap between machine codes & programming languages such as Fortran & Cobol, they invented the language of C.

Built upon a shorthand of words, numbers and punctuations - the C programming language was designed for system programmers who wanted to gain maximum performance from operating systems. Still widely used today, successors of C including C++ and Java rely on the ideas, rules and grammar that Ritchie premeditated.

Dennis Ritchie will remain at the forefront of computer science for many years to come, he will be remembered as the father of computer programming & as the founder of a digital era that has helped shape the modern world.

Useful links
bell labs [www.alcatel-lucent.com]

Joel Marsh, ICT Apprentice Technician at AND Technology Research left for Tanzania on the 12th August 2011, setting out on an adventure that would see him climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

Travelling to Africa with his Dad and two of their closest friends as part of his father's 50th birthday celebration, Joel saw this as a once in a lifetime opportunity and after raising the funds himself (by putting in the extra hours at AND), he was able to accompany his Dad on a journey he would never forget.

Joel, aged 16, trained rigorously 4 weeks prior to the trip, walking 14 miles every other day and by implementing a muscle gaining diet that would help increase his stamina and endurance.

Commencing the journey in groups of 9, the hike took a total of 8 days - six days climbing up to the top of the summit, and 2 days to get back down.

With temperatures plummeting to -23°c and with the ground underfoot filled with loose scree, no training could prepare the climbers for the final trek to the summit. Battling through extreme weather conditions the group made it to the peak of the mountain with high morale, Joel described it as, "Absolutely stunning, the sun rose out from behind the glaciers & glittered on the ice, it was truly breath-taking and I couldn't help but stare. The experience was one of the greatest in my life so far and I doubt anything I do in the future will compare to that feeling of reaching the top."

Inspired by his Kilimanjaro climb, Joel has not ruled out the challenge of tackling the seven highest peaks in the world and after already climbing Africa's highest mountain, that's one adventure he can cross off the list.

All the team at AND would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Joel on completing the climb of Kilimanjaro & reaching the summit, which is a whopping 19,340 feet above sea level!

Useful links
kilimanjaro facts [www.climbmountkilimanjaro.com]

Japanese chain reaction

While the world's media gaze may have moved on from the tragic events that happened in Japan in March this year, AND along with many in the electronics industry are still very much focused on news coming out from one of the world's most important technology hubs.

As is so often the case in these disasters, while the initial incident is crippling, it's the events that unfold afterwards that can be equally, if not more damaging. One such factor is the disruption to manufacture & supply of electronic components.

Latest developments from Japan reveal that further delay to supply chains of critical components could be set to last all year.

New IHS iSuppli research indicates, that disruptions caused by the Japan earthquake and tsunami could see shipments of crystals to be overdue by four weeks - impacting the supply of components used in products such as mobile phones & PCs.

Average lead times for megahertz and kilohertz crystals rose to 12 weeks in April, up by 50% from eight weeks in March, therefore lengthening the time of delivery and in turn slowing down the process of producing new products that could be in demand.

Supplied by companies such as Epson, NDK and Citizen, the shortage of crystals could see prices climb from Japanese suppliers over the next few weeks.

Takeshi Hattori, president of Hattori Consulting International and columnist for Japan's Electronic Journal has written in a report on the effects of the earthquake and says, "Supply chains will not fully recover until this fall at earliest or until the end of this year according to the Ministry of Economics, Trade, and Industry (METI)."

Hattori explains how companies such as SEH's Shirakawa Plant, have been pulled into the centre of attention since the aftermath of the earthquake have left them picking up the pieces.

Press releases from semiconductors manufacturers have revealed plans of a roadmap to recovery that should see an increase in production capacity towards the end of this summer.

However, circumstances including big aftershocks, unstable electricity supply and unexpected blackouts are disturbing production in all of Japans most affected areas.

Toshiba has decided to operate, along with many other semiconductors, during Golden Week - a public bank holiday that will see most of Japans other plants & offices close. Fujitsu will also continue work, thus, maximising the effort to efficiently use electricity while the rest of Japan is on a break nationwide.

Whilst the physical devastation of northern Japan is still remnant, the impact on the global supply chains still remains at the forefront of the electronics industry.

Useful links
iSuppli market research [www.isuppli.com]
renesas [www.renesas.com]
seh [www.sehamerica.com]

AND visit Hook Norton Primary School

Hook Norton Primary School based in Oxfordshire, invited AND Technology Research along to the climax of their Eco initiative, an open evening to celebrate the newly installed solar panels in addition to pupils work on energy, energy conservation & being 'green'.

The photovoltaic (PV) panels, installed on the south-facing roofs of the school, help generate a substantial amount of the school's electricity & hot water supply. Additionally, electricity created from the solar panels can then be supplied back to the national grid producing further revenue for the primary school.

AND were invited along to give demonstrations & discuss with individuals the types of technologies on offer that could be used to take energy-saving actions.

Steven Kear, Programmes Director at AND said "It's great to see a whole community so engaged in energy conservation. I've talked to pupils, parents & whole families about their thoughts on energy, their current needs & ways in which they can use energy more intelligently."

Steven adds "AND's ZigBee-based IHEM (In-Home Energy Monitor) demo also proved popular allowing me to demonstrate some of the technology we have available to not only monitor energy use, but identify what's using it & intelligently control it."

The carbon reduction measures that are now implemented at Hook Norton Primary School were installed through the Low Carbon Hook Norton agreement, which was set up by Hook Norton Low Carbon Limited (HNLC).

HNLC is an Industrial Provident Society that was established by Low Carbon Hook Norton members to help the community reduce its energy consumption, carbon emissions and save money through a range of community-based schemes & individual household projects based on interest-free loans.

The event, organised in conjunction with the HNLC, was aimed at all members of the Hook Norton community, not just parents & teachers. Classes showcased artwork, photographs & artefacts as part of the carbon reduction awareness event.

Useful links
hook norton low carbon ltd. [www.hn-lc.org.uk]


Embedded World 2011- what caught AND's eye

Over 800 international exhibitors & 19,022 trade visitors flocked to the 2011 Embedded World exhibition & conference in Nuremburg, Germany.

The world's biggest show of its kind saw exhibitors & conferences taking place from all avenues of the electronics industry - covering automotive, military, telecoms, industrial & consumer electronic sectors.

The 3-day exhibition is now one of the biggest events on the electronics calendar, with experts from all over the world meeting to showcase new products & discuss innovative ideas.

Richard Krowoza, Member of the Management Board of NürnbergMesse said, "The exhibition in the four halls showed a unique global range of products for high-tech embedded systems."

Embedded World saw a main focus on energy-optimised solutions & products in all product segments, from software & hardware, to tools & services. The priority to cut energy emissions was a key theme running across all areas of what was on offer at the conference - highlighting how embedded systems are key part in saving resources for the future.

Besides energy efficiency, communication was another key focus, from M2M communication right through to cloud computing in the embedded sector.

A whole host of interesting products debut at the event; a few which caught AND's eye were: Energy Micro's new Cortex-M0 product - entitled Zero Gecko.

Claiming to offer a 300% battery life increase, Energy Micro's low cost energy friendly microcontroller solution is pin compatible with their earlier M3 based products. The Zero Gecko is aiming to target battery-backed applications in sectors such as energy metering, building automation, security & portable medical equipment.

Another product to shine out at the show was Future Technology Devices International (FTDI) single channel USB 2.0 chip, which they've now added to their expansive USB portfolio.

With the ability of being configured via EEPROM the device contains USB, serial & parallel protocol engines. With data speeds of up to 30Mbit/s the single USB chip is able to eliminate the requirement of specific USB firmware development.

Useful links
embedded world [www.embedded-world.de/en/]


CES - Show Report

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas, was none other than a success, after opening its doors to over 20,000 innovative products, all new for 2011.

Currently in its 43rd year, the show attracted a record number of attendees - some 140,000, with 30,000 of these travelling from overseas. Waiting to captivate the minds of all these visitors were more than 2,700 technological companies all with stalls that were eager to excite the crowds at this year's event.

The large scale tradeshow sees companies from all walks of the technology spectrum come together and exhibit products from the automotive, entertainment, computing, TV and mobile phone industry - a few to say the least.

Many technology trends graced the show floor; as anticipated there was the battle of the tablet's with 80 new product debuted, of course 3D-everything, TV's that stream their content from the Internet and who could forget Polaroid's GL20 camera glasses worn, modelled and demoed by Lady Gaga.

One of the biggest pieces of news to come out of the CES was Microsoft, announcing that its next release of Windows (likely to be Windows 8) would support System On Chip (SOC) devices.

At the event Microsoft showcased examples of desktop versions of Windows 7 running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon, Texas Instruments OMAP & Nvidia Tegra processors, all built around designs from UK firm ARM.

While Microsoft already has a version of Windows that will run on ARM-based chips (Windows Phone 7) this is essentially a feature-limited build designed for smaller devices; where this new version of Windows would be able to support tablets and netbooks, allowing for multi-touch interface and running applications such as Word, PowerPoint, and Internet Explorer.

This new development from Microsoft could open up a vast amount of opportunities, allowing them to better compete in the mobile & portable gadget markets arenas - areas where they have not recently been so successful. However, with an anticipated launch date of 2012 & ARM compatible operating systems from competing manufactures already available, making a success of this recent announcement will be a challenge.

Useful links
CES [www.cesweb.org]
BBC News [www.bbc.co.uk]

With Christmas just around the corner, AND take a look at some of the best gadgets that would make the perfect present this year. So, in no particular order we've picked our top five favourites to give you an idea of what to get this Christmas.

Kindle

If you like to read but are always on the go then panic no-more… for Amazon's Kindle is here. Designed to hold up to 3,500 books the Kindle is the perfect accessory for any bookworm, it's lighter than a paperback and thinner than a magazine. The latest generation boasts 3G Wireless, a 6" screen and can be used globally. You can check your emails, download new books, and unlike most LED screens this little wonder reads like real paper, with no glare.

Kinect for Xbox 360

Take gaming to a new level this Christmas with Kinect for Xbox 360 - using no controllers, this accessory brings games and entertainment to life in extraordinary new ways. Controller free games mean full body play, with the Kinect responding to hand movements and voice control actions. If you already have an Xbox then all you need is the Kinect bundle, pick from a variety of games get off your couch and start playing. This innovative gaming experience provides endless entertainment at the wave of a hand.

MiLi iPhone Power Packs

Ok so we all know there is an ongoing battle between the iPhone and the Blackberry. But here it is, the external charger that can be added to your iPhone providing up to 390 hours of extra battery life. If you're draining your phone playing all the cool apps, then the MiLi is definitely for you. The MiLi iPhone power pack is concealed discreetly in a plush looking hard-shell case, so no-one would even know you have it on your phone. And you can even set your MiLi to use its own power before using your own.

Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Tired of vacuuming? Then this nifty robot is the answer. It works automatically by cleaning your floors and recharges its power without you having to lift a finger. Its counter rotating bristle brushes, and beater brush work together to release all the dust and dirt, then the powerful vacuum sucks all the dirt into its storage compartment - leaving your floors super clean. You can program it to clean at a desired time as well as its object sensors making sure it doesn't get stuck in corners or fall downstairs, we're ordering ours for the AND office now!

WiFi Bathroom Scales

This quirky little gadget is perfect for fitness fanatics, the tempered-glass and aluminum-made bathroom scales automatically record your weight, fat mass and BMI every time you step on it. The clever piece of technology can send all your information to your computer or iPhone over a wireless connection, so you can track your progress via a password protected website or free downloaded app. This sleek gadget is capable of tracking and storing data for up to eight users, and even knows who is standing on it as its being used.

Useful links
Amazon [www.amazon.co.uk]
Game [www.game.co.uk]
Firebox [www.firebox.co.uk]

2010 has seen a series of historical milestones reached in relation to the birth of broadcasting 100 years ago.

In November an IEEE conference, the History of Telecommunications (HISTELCON 2010), will explore these key moments, taking a closer look at the technology that spawned from these early R&D efforts in addition to looking at the technology we can expect to see in near future.

As part of the line-up Tapashree Bhattacharya, Design Engineer at AND Technology Research, will be presenting her conference paper specially selected by the HISTELCON Scientific Committee on 'Stellar Moments in the History of Broadcasting'.

Following on from Tapashree's MSc in Modern Digital Communication Systems & work at AND, Tapashree & research partner Shibantayan Mallick will be presenting their paper on the most important milestones in the journey from the beginning of broadcasting to its present day implementation, from their research work.

In addition to Tapashree's paper, topics such as Radio & TV Standards, Broadcasting as a Political Instrument, Development of Radio & TV Technology, Internet TV & Radio, are set to feature, providing an interesting & rich conference schedule.

HISTELCON will be held at Telefónica's old HQ & emblematic building in the centre of Madrid, Spain from the 3rd- 5th November.

Useful links
HISTELCON 2010 [www.aeti.es/histelcon2010]
IEEE [www.ieee.org]

The end of June sees not only the summer solstice (longest day of the year in terms of daylight hours) but also the return of the high profile Future of Wireless International Conference (FWIC).

Organised by Cambridge Wireless the two-day event held in Cambridge over the 29th & 30th June brings together key business leaders, entrepreneurs, technologists, investors & academics to explore the key market, business & technology opportunities for wireless.

In addition to lively, thought-provoking discussions there is an online partnering service to facilitate networking, allowing one-to-one meetings to be setup in advance to the conference.

The two-day event also hosts two "Innovation HotHouses" featuring handpicked, exciting UK SME's & start-up businesses showcasing a range of new products & services that have the potential to make a major impact on global markets. AND Technology Research is proud to be showcasing a new ZigBee solution at one of the Wednesday Innovation HotHouse slots - be sure to catch us.

Keynote presentations have formed the backbone of past conferences & this year promises to be no different with confirmed speakers including Robert Crow (Research in Motion), Tudor Brown (ARM), Andrew Glibert (Qualcomm), Houston Spencer (Alcatel Lucent) Microsoft Research, Orange Labs, Motorola to name but a few.

Useful links
Cambridge Wireless FWIC 2010 [www.cambridgewireless.co.uk]

iPad (Apple), Streak (Dell), Slate (HP) - while most people are caught up with first deciding "do I need one" & secondly "where does this fit into my digital life in terms of my laptop, netbook & smartphone"; others are looking at this reinvigorated generation of devices in a completely different light - Software.

Without doubt the hardware that powers these new, slimline devices is impressive & the relenting pace in which technology has evolved over the past 25 years is almost unimaginable to those at the time who were unwrapping the first Apple computer. But this time around will it actually be the software features, & more accurately the Operating System/User Interface, instead of the hardware innovation that decides whether these & future devices are a success?

Over the past 10-15 years technical innovation has brought devices once for the techie few to everyone. If you compare hardware evolution over that same period to OS/UI development it's as if the world forgot to invent new UI's. Certainly UI's have progressed, but not with the same speed & diversity as hardware.

Of course without the high-performance embedded hardware platform furiously crunching away at algorithms behind-the-scenes there would be no multi-touch, high resolution colour, always connected, location & motion-aware devices. But now, with phenomenal processing power in the hands of most, it is the everyday consumer that is setting the requirements for human computer interaction & not hardware constraint.

So, where could this instinctive, instead of learnt, interaction with computing systems take us?

Multi-touch is seen as a major step forward & already available on an array of products today, ranging from smart phones to the aforementioned tablet/slate computers. Microsoft's Surface project takes this one step further acting a large-scale multi touch system that is well suited to being integrated in objects like tables or retail displays. Not only does Surface accept input from multiple users at once, the technology also recognises physical objects that are placed on the screen. Microsoft Surface [www.microsoft.com/surface]

With Google's recent purchase of BumpTop, the rumoured launch of a tablet computer from the Californian giant could desktops move into 3D. BumpTop on YouTube [http://www.youtube.com/bumptop]

Microsoft's Kinect, formerly Project Natal available later this year, is an addition to Xbox 360 gaming system that represents "controller-free gaming". Put simply, the technology tracks full body movement in 3D in addition to face & facial expression to provide a user interface to the Xbox. Microsoft Kinect (Natal) [www.microsoft.com/uk/wave/hardware-projectnatal]

Aside from information & gaming - what about real world activities & work? SixthSense introduced by Pattie Maes & Pranav Mistry at the TED2009 caused a real buzz. SxithSense is a wearable gesture interface that augments the surrounding physical world around with digital information & uses natural hand gestures interact with that information. TED SixthSense [www.ted.com/sixthsense]

Who of course could forget the amazing UI expertly driven by Tom Cruise in Minority Report? Science advisor to the film & inventor has brought it to life in g-speak. TED g-speak [www.ted.com/gspeak]

The iPad (& other tablet/slate devices) has had a polarising affect on people's opinions. Look solely at the specifications it does not take long to think about other types of device that can offer the same benefits, more conveniently & in most cases for less money. But actually use one & watch how others simply pick the device up & intuitively know how to use it, marks something a bit different.

Useful links
Apple iPad [www.apple.com/uk]
Dell Streak [content.dell.com]
HP Slate [www.hp.com]


AND|30

2010 not only marks the start of a new decade, but sees AND Technology Research Ltd., celebrate its 30th anniversary!

Incorporated on June 11th 1980 AND Technology Research (AND Software - as it was known back then) came into being.

In order to celebrate this significant milestone, AND plans to host a number of events throughout the year to mark the anniversary, culminating in a grand reunion & celebration event in the summer, where AND hope to bring together former staff plus clients past & present to celebrate its birthday.

Be sure to keep an eye on the company website (andtr.com) & Control Columns to find out more about AND's celebrations in 2010.

Useful links
AND Technology Research [www.andtr.com]


Free IP White Papers

'Managing IP, Assets & Costs' & 'Easing Integration & Test Pressure' are just a couple of the titles available from our expanding, free, online White Papers section on the andtr.com website.

Over the coming months the team at AND hope to expand the number of titles, with topics ranging from PAN (Personal Area Network) RF through to making the right battery choice & energy harvesting techniques.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the latest titles, which include:

'Managing IP, Assets & Costs'. This paper looks at how development of embedded software is costly & reliant on highly skilled labour & how the goals of the design team & the goals of higher-level management in companies are mis-aligned. The paper focuses on three critical components of the development team project & its outputs, exposing the issues that team managers are faced with when sourcing or developing software & explores some techniques which can help them make decisions which align more naturally to company goals.

'Easing Integration & Test Pressure' looks at how continual growth in system size & complexity increases the need for software reuse. This paper exposes & explores some key integration & test pressures associated with reusing a large base of third-party software, providing readers with practical advice on how to improve the success of complex integration projects.
Both papers are available online from the AND website - Technology Consultancy, White Papers section [www.andtr.com].

Useful links
andtr.com White Papers [www.andtr.com]